Trick-chair.



J GILLESP'IE.

Patented Jan/1, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

` #mentor 9%/ Attorneys J. GILLBSPIE.

TRIGK GHAIR.

APPLIGATION FILED APR.25,1908.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

945,032. Patented Jan.4, 1910.

minimes Inventor JOI-IN GILLESPIE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

{BRICK-CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 4, 1910.

Application led April 25, 1908. Serial No. 429,137.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, JOI-IN GILLEsPm, a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of Wayne, State of Mich- I corner of the seat, showing the arrangement igan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trick-Chairs; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a trick chair, especially designed for use in the initiatory workin secret and fraternal societies, and consists in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully set forth and pointed out particularly in the claims.

rlhe object of the invention is to produce a chair for the purpose set forth, of simple and comparatively inexpensive construction, wherein the arrangement is such as to enable the occupant to be precipitated to the iioor by a downward movement of the hinged seat, after which the movable parts of the chair automatically return to their normal position.

A further arrangement provides for eX- ploding a blank cartridge as the hinged seat swings downwardly, and a still further arrangement provides for folding the chair into a small compass for shipment.

rlhe above object is attained by the structure illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an elevation of a chair elnbodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a central section therethrough. Fig. 3 is a central section through the seat and lower portion of the chair with the seat swung downwardly. Fig. L is a rear elevation of the chair with the parts in their normal position. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the chair with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partly broken away, showing the supporting brace or arm for the seat disengaged from the cross bar of the chair so as to cause the seat to swing downwardly when a weight is placed thereon. Fig. 7 is an elevation of the chair folded or collapsed in position for shipment. Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view partly in section, being mainly an inverted plan of one for firing a blank cartridge. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view, partly in section, showing the hinged support for returning the brace arm that supports the seat, into position to engage the cross rod of the chair.

Referring to the characters of reference, 1 designates the front legs which incline rearwardly and vform the side pieces 2 of the back 3 of the chair. The rear legs 4L incline forwardly and are pivoted to the legs 1 by the transverse rod 7, the ends of which pass through said legs at their points of crossing and receive the nuts 8, thereby tying the legs together and pivotally joining them in pairs.

The upper end portions of the legs 4c forward ofthe tie rod 7 are beveled, as shown at 9. The sections 10 at their upper ends are pivoted at 5 to the sides of the seat 6 and their lower ends are beveled to coincide with the beveled ends 9 of the legs 4, said sections being normally held in place by the springs 11 connected thereto and to the under face of the bottom of the chair. By this arrangement the sections 10 are permitted to swing upon their pivots 5 but are automaticallyl returned by the springs 11 to their normal position in alinement with the legs 4, in which position said sections appear to be a continuation of said legs.

The seat 6 at the rear is pivoted on the pins 12 between the rear upper ends of the legs 1. Attached to the rear edge of the seat at their upper ends are the springs 13, whose lower ends are attached to the inner faces of the legs 1. The tension of these springs is sufficient to hold the seat of the chair eX- tended in a horizontal plane. To prevent said springs Swingin the front edge of the seat upwardly beyon a predetermined point, stop pins 111 are employed which project from the inner faces of the legs 1 and upon which the rear edge of the seat rests, when said seat is extended in its normal position; said pins 14: being in the rear of the pivot pins 12, the engagement of the rear edge of the seat thereon, prevents the front edge from rising beyond a given point. The forward edge of the seat is normally supported by a brace arm 15 which is centrally pivoted at 16 to the under face of the seat at the front, and which inclines downwardly and has near its lower end a notch 17 adapted to engage the cross rod 7 and maintain said brace arm in position to support the forward edge of the seat. Attached to the rear end of the brace arm is a cord 18 which passes over a pulley 19, secured above the rear end of said arm to the under side of the seat,V

whereby by drawing upon said cord, the free Aend of said arm may be lifted so as to withdraw its shoulder 17 from engagement with the cross rod 7, thereby leaving the forward edge of the seat unsupported, allowing said seat to swing downwardly when Sullicient weight is placed thereon to overcome the tension of the springs 13. Secured to the frame of the seat at the front is a bracket 20, as clearly shown in Fig. 9, to which is pivoted a yoke 21, by means of the pintle pin 22. Surrounding said pin is a coiled spring 23, one end of which bearsl against said bracket, and the other end against said yoke, whereby said yoke is forced downwardly with tension against the upper edge of the pivoted brace arm 15. By this arrangement said arm is always pressed downwardly so as to cause the notch or shoulder 17 therein to find engagement with the cross rod 7, and is returned after the free end thereof shall have been drawn upwardly by means of the cord 18 into position for rengagement with said rod. The width of the yoke 21 is such as to cause it to maintain engagement with the arm 15 even though the latter may have considerable lateral movement.

With the parts in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and with a person seated in the chair, by pulling upon the cord 18 so as to raise the free end of the arm 15, the seat of the chair will be permitted to swing downwardly with the weight of the person, to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5, causing vthe person seated thereon to slide onto the floor. As soon as the seat of the chair is relieved from the weight of the person, the springs 13 will raise the seat to its normal position, causing the brace arm 15 to again engage with the rod 7 and maintain said seat in said position. Then the brace arm 15 is tripped by the cord to allow the seat to swing downwardly, the sections 10 move downwardly with the seat to the position shown in Figs. 3 and 5, the springs 11 attached to said sections yielding sufliciently for this purpose. When the seat is raised to a horizontal position, the springs 11 return said sections 10 to the position shown in Figs. 1 and 6, in which position they resemble the legs of an ordinary folding chair, obviating in the chair, any unusual appearance calculated to excite the suspicion of the person who is invited to a seat thereon. T he beveled ends of the sections of the legs 4 permit the pivoted sections 10 to readily slide downwardly when the seat swings down and enable the ends of said sections to join with the legs, when the seat is raised, in a manner to cause them to stand in alinement, and present the appearance of the continuous legs.

To provide for tiring a blank cartridge simultaneously with the downward niovement of the forward edge of the seat, there is mounted upon the under side of the seat frame near one corner at the rear, a plate 2l having thereon a` chamber 25 adapted t0 receive a blank cartridge 26. Fivoted at 27 to said plate is a hammer 28 having a firing pin 2f). An actuating spring 30 is attached at one end to the hammer and at the other end to a hook 3l on the plate Upon the hammer is a stop adapted to engage a pin 33 on said plate when swung back to the cocked position, in which posit-ion the draft of the spring 30 will be at one side of the center of the pivot 27 to hold the hammer cocked, said hammer being moved to the cocked position by a manual manipulation thereof. With the parts arranged as shown in Fig. 8, as the seat swings downwardly, the hammer will be carried into contact with the stop pin 14 which will swing it upon its pivot suliiciently to carry the hammer from its cocked position, when the spring will carry it forcibly against the cartridge in the firing chamber and explode it, as will be well understood. The explosion of the cartridge occurring simultaneously with the dropping of the seat, will produce quite a startling efl'ect upon the occupant of the chair.

To prevent a possible spreading of the legs 1 and el, they are connected by chains 3-1 which permit said legs to be folded when it is desired to collapse the chair for shipment, as shown in Fig. 7. For thc purpose of bracing the chair, it is provided with the rungs 35, 3G, and 37 which extend laterally between the legs thereof.

Should it be desired to render the forward edge of the seat unsupported, the cord 18, as shown in Fig. (l, may be drawn downwardly and secured to the rung in a inanner to raise the brace arm from engagement with the cross rod 7, when the forward edge of the seat will swing downwardly with the application of pressure thereto suliicient to overcome the tension of the springs 13 and again return to its normal position when said pressure is removed, but will not become locked by the brace arm 15, owing to the fact that the arm will be held from contact with the cross rod 7.

By reducing the chair to the collapsed position shown in Fig. 7, it may be made to occupy but a small compass for transportation, and when released from said collapsed oi' folded state, the parts will automatically assume their normal position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Having thus fully set forth myinvention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A chair, having a seat hinged at the rear to swing downwardly, means for supporting the front ofthe seat in a horizontal position, means for moving said supporting means to permit the seat to swing downwardly at the front, and means for returning the seat automatically to a horizontal position.

2. A chair, having a seat hinged at the rear toswing downwardly, means for supporting the front of the seat in a horizontal position, means for moving said supporting means to permit the seat to swing downwardly at the front, said supportingmeans operating to automatically lock the seat in a horizontal position when raised, and means for returning the seat to a horizontal position.

3. A chair, having a seat hinged at the i'ear to swing downwardly, a spring at the rear for normally maintaining the seat in a horizontal position, and a stop engaging the rear of the seat to arrest the return movement of the hinged seat by the action of said spring.

il. A chair, having a hinged seat, a movable part for supporting the seat opposite said hinge, means for moving said part to permit the seat to swing downwardly, means for returning the seat to a horizontal position, and means for actuating said supporting part to cause it to automatically lock the seat upon its return.

5. A chair having a seat hinged at the rear to swing downwardly, pivoted supporting legs, movable sections pivoted to the forward portion of the seat adapted to normally stand in alineinent with the pivoted legs, 'means tor yieldingly supporting the seat in a horizontal position independently of said movable sections, and means for returning said sections into alinement with the pivoted legs when the seat is raised.

G. A chair, having a seat hinged at the rear to swing downwardly, a pivoted brace arm for supporting the front oi' the seat, means for yieldingly holding said arm in a supporting position, means for moving said arm against said holding means to permit the seat to swing downwardly at the front, and means for returning the seat to a horizontal position.

7. A chair, having a seat hinged at the rear to swing downwardly, a pivoted brace arm for supporting the seat at the front, means for actuating the pivoted brace arm to permit the front of the seat to swing downwardly, means for restoring the seat to a horizontal position, and means for returning the brace arm into a supporting position.

8. A chair, having a seat hinged at the rear to swing downwardly, a cross bar below said seat, a brace arm pivoted to the front of the seat and engaging said cross bar to support the seat extended, a pull cord for disengaging said arm from said brace rod, a spring for raising the seat to a horizontal position, and a spring actuated member engaging the brace arm to return it into supporting engagement with said rod.

9. A chair having a seat hinged to swing downwardly, pivoted legs, movable sections pivoted to the opposite sides of said seat, a spring for yieldiiigly supporting the seat in a horizontal position, and a spring connect-v ing each of the movable sections to the seat frame.

10. A chair having a hinged seat, pivotally mounted legs, independently movable sections pivoted to the seatand yieldingly connected to the seat frame, said movable sections being adapted to normally stand in alinement with the pivoted legs, a pivoted brace arm for supporting the seat, and means for actuating said b 1ace arm.

1 1. A chair having four legs pivotally joined, a seat hinged totwo of said legs, the other legs being shorter than the'legs cai'- rying the seat, independently movable scctioiis pivoted to the seat adapted to swing therewith, said movable sections normally standing in alinement with the shorter of the pivoted legs, means for returning said movable sections into alinement with said shorter legs when the seat is raised, a movable supporting arm connected with the seat, and means for actuating said arm to permit the seat to swing on its hinge.

12. A chair comprising crossed front and rear legs, a seat pivotally mounted upon the front legs, leg extensions connected to the seat and disposed to abut against and aline with the rear legs, the adjoining ends of said extensions and rear legs being beveled, means for locking the seat against movement relative to the legs, and means for iinlocking the seat.

13. A chair comprising crossed front and rear legs, a seat pivotally mounted upon the front legs, leg extensions connected to the sides of the seat and normally alining` with and abutting against the rear legs, the adjoining ends of the rear legs and the extensions being beveled, a pivoted locking strip for holding the seat against movement relative to the legs, and means for actuating the locking strip to release the seat.

14:. A chair comprising a supporting` structure, a seat pivotally mounted thereon, elastic means for holding the seat normally und means for actuating said locking device rendered operative by the unlocking of the to release the sent. seat.

l5. A chair comprising a supporting` In testimony whereof, I sign this specifistructure, L sent pivotally mounted thereon, cation in the presence of two Witnesses.

in operative position, a seat-locking device, ing the seat, and detonator-exploding means 10 means for yieldingly holding the seat nor- JOHN GILLESPIE. madly in operative positlon, means for lockvWitnesses: ingl the seat against movement relative to O. B. BAENZIGER,

the supportingstructure, means for unlock- I. G. HOWLETT. 

